Vehicle-body.



J. G. HEASLET.

VEHICLE BODY.

APPLICATiON FILED FEB.4,\915 1,192,303. l 1 mf\11ted.1111y25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L G. HEASLET.

VEHiCLE BGMv APPLecATmn men 515B. ai law.

2 SHLE UNITE sra'rns gram onirica.

IJAJYIES G. HEASLET, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE STUDEBAKER l CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

VEHICLE-EODY.

pplication filed February 4, 1915.

T all whom .it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES Gr. HEAsLn'r,

a citizen ofthe United States of America,

^ upon it. It has been an aim of manufacturers to lessenthe Weight of the body Without affecting the strength` and rigidity iof the body structure.

This invention appertains to improvements in the structure of the metal *bodyl which notonly facilitates the assembling of the parts and'lessens the weight, but gives greater strength and rigidity Ato the body,

especially in restricting lateral and torsional strains.

Otherl 4objects and advantages ofthe invention will appear fromthe `following detailed descriptlon taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Anembodiment of the invention is shown :in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understoodthatthe disclosure therein l.made isfor the purpose of illustration, and

that various changes and modifications are susceptible 1n the vform and particular operat i tion and arrangement of the parts within 35 the Ascope of the appended claims. v

In'the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, through a vehicie body embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view.

In constructing metal bodies for motor vehicles, it is desirable to retain strength and In this invention a sheet of metal is provided which forms the rear seat plate and a part of the rear door frames, another sheet of metal forms the front seat plate and anotherv part of the front door frames. These plates are .reinforced by horizontal and vertical ribs and are maintained and strengthened in their proper relation against transverse and longitudinal strains by suitable transverse plates and bars, some. of which serve seat supporting elements, while others s i as floor supporting Sfornents. The door sec- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 191e.

Serial No. 6,075. i

tional and supported from the seat-side plates. i

Referring more particularly'to the disciosure of the invention in the accompanying drawings, the rear plate 3 is bentv at 4 to form the rear and sides of the body. This plate extends to a vertical pillar 6 on each side of the body and the side pillars 6 mav be connected to a transverse sill 7, preferably of non-metallic material, by suitable strap irons 8 of. any preferred shape. In Fig. 1, these strapirons are shown com rising two members angularly disposed with a bend as at 9 at the union of the members. The rear doors 10 are preferably hinged so that the catches 11 engage suitable means in the illars 6.

T e front seat plate 12 isshown extending transversely across the body and bent at 13 to oxan the forward sides 14,2terminating Y at the front pillars 15. Front'doorjs 16 "may be provided similar tov the rear doors 10, with vtheir .catches 11 engaging ineans carried by the pillars 15.

Nonmetallic ribs are shown extending along the upper edges Aof the plates 8 and 12 and conforming' tov the shape of the plates, the ribs 17 being on one .side of the plates, while the ribs 18 are on thev other sides thereof. A broad longitudinal rib 19 is shown near the top of each plate 3, 12 and the plates 3 or 12 may be recessed as at 2O to receive asbead on the rib 1i). The rib 19 may be retained in position on the plate 3 or 12 by any suitable means. A piiirality of longitudinal ribs 21, 22, of any suitable material, preferably laminated wood, are shown' extending from one Ipillar 6 to another pillar 6.- The upper -rib 21 is` 'shown engaging the top rib 17 for that portion thereof which ext-ends from pillar 6 around the sides' of the body, and thereafter extends on the same plane around the bends i and the seat plate 3 to the pillar 6 on side 5 of the body forming a complete brace preventing either side swayA or back strain. The lower rib 22, which may also be of ily paruliel to the rib 21 from pillar i5 onione side of the body to pillar 6 on the 'l opposite side thereof, but-on a part of the which 1s convenient to mount .a seat supporting element. xLike rib 21, and the trim rail, rib 22 serves as a brace for the ,plate 3. Vertical straps maybe employed to retainthe ribs 1? 21, and in e of the seat 'plate 3.and the ends of' thestraps longitudinal 23. Shorter straps 26 may 'be employed -Whieh entend from'` the ribs 22 to the floor section.24,'as shown in FigQ-l, such strap 26 being-shown angular in form. Y Cover 'retaining brackets 27, Q8 may be supported' from the ribs'v 17,v 21 and 22, if'

desired thereby shortening the irons which heretofore have' extended from the top toY the sin 2 4.

The floor is show nfin a' vplurality of sections 9A, 29,-30, 31, and one or more sections may be placed at 32 in advancev of the front seat. `The front section may be supported between the front or dash board Y (not shownland the sill The section 31 is shown secured t0 the sills -33 and 31. To onel side of` the sill is secured a channeled iron 35 with its channel' direct ed toward the rear seat. The section 3,0, which vis a quickly removable member of the floor, is shown with'one end"fitledjw.i thin the channel of iron 35 w'hileits. opposite end may rest upon the non-metallic sill 7. This sill .7 may serve as acorefor avchanneled transi-erse casing member'wrhich is shown pro-V vided with a flange 37 extending under the floor `sections 'The casing,r member 3G. may

be attached Vtothe main side sills 38 and' rests on the chassis frame'and across the body; 'preventing springing of thebody at this Doint.

The-section 29 extends from the sill 'T to the plate 4l and is secured -tothe flange 43 of the latter by any suit-able means.

It should benoted that the plates forming .the sides. seats and rear end ot' the body',

taper 'inwardly 'from 'the top to the bot-tom of the body. the converging lower part of the plates being turned in\ \"ardl \'.as indi- C-ated at in Fig. l-to serre as a bearing* around the base of'tlie'liody to support. the floor' sections attlie ends and edges thereof. These floor sections may be retained in position' against the sides and end plates' of the 'body by batt'on strips 38a. or any 'other suitable means, and may further rest upon the joists' or sills 3S on the body. (rie-2 e n important feature. of the invention resides in the seat-sul'iporting element. In the embodiment illustrated7 the rear seat '3 adapted to A1.' the forward end of each of the seats there may. 'be pro'W'ided a transverse supporting plate '41,. vwhich may pro vided' AWith longitudinal ammiro-convex ribs 42. This-metallic plate' forms' a combined cushion retainer and heel board, doing ein@ with the 'usual' cumbersome wood construction. The ower edge of plate 111 may be bent to forma floor engaging flange reeeire suitable fastening. means 44. v 'Y The upper edge of plate 41 is shown 'bent upon itse f as at 45 toform a' 'flange and thence into frictional Aengagement with' 'one member of :in angle iron 4'6 to retain theangle iron in position. If desired. the angle iron 46 'and the upper flange 45 'may' be secored by any other additional means, sach' as Welding or rivets. This'angle 'iron a6 is preferablyseeured to 'the plate 41 so that the angular portion thereof will bear against f the shoulder formed by "a conca-'ve portion of rib 4 2, which serves a seat to prevent vertical inoveme. of the 'angie iron. Angie ironji 'also' stifens 4the plate't'on e side opposite to the rib 49." '1`hc""ends n lf plate 41may be secured .tothe sides of tlie lody inany snitalilenianner, as at. 47' iff 41g. l V` I. n the' front seat construction the 'angle iron seat support 48 'is' .shown 'as a .continuous rectangular member with rounded corners 49, the angle iron '48' being' suitably supported by the longitudinalrib 5 0 whichmaybe of laminated Wood-'secured to the front of the plate 1'2,"asfdeseribed. AThe Y the transverse plate 4 1 and the angle irons is monnik-d4 upon a plurality of angle irons 39. 46. 1S serve as v transrerse strengthenin@` members for the body. Having thus escribed my invention, what l elaimas new 'and desire-insecure by Let# ters Patent is:

1. l'n a vel-nele body, the combination of a rigid base frame, np's'tanding 'door pests at oppositesides 'of the frame; a. back plate v ici;

extendingaround the rear of thev Yiframe metal plate rigidly mounted on the frame and shaped to form the back and sides of a seat, a horizontal wooden rib extending around the inner surface of said plate, and in engagement therewith, to maintain the plate in form, a seat, a seat supporting member suspended on the wooden rib for supporting the rear portion of the seat, and a transverse brace extending across the interior ot' said plate, near its forward edges, and underlying and supporting the forward portion of said-seat.

3. A vehicle body including the sides and floor of a body structure, a transverse Supporting plate adapted to engage the sides and the floor, and an angle iron strip, one edge of said plate being doubled upon itself to engage and 'retain in clamping relation one flange of the angle iron strip.'v

4. A vehicle body having a transverse supporting plate provided with a plurality of longitudinal reinforcing beads, one edge of said plate' beinr bent to form a |retaining flange at substantially right dngles 'to the plate, while the other edge 'of saidplate is doubled upon itself and into engagement with a member of an angle iron to retain the angle iron in coperatve relation to one of said beads. v

5. A vehicle body including the sides, floor and transverse seat plate of a ,body structure, a substantially rectangular seat support of angular members mounted on said sides and seat plate, and a transverse supporting plate having a door engaging ange and one of its edges bent to frictionally engage 'a member of the, rectangular seat support to support the Same.

6. In a metallic vehicle body, the combination of transverse seat plates, which plates are extended to form the sides of the body, a floor housed within lower portions of said plates, a plufality of transverse supporting plates securedat their opposite ends to the side portions of the seat plates, means at the lower edges ofV said supporting plates for supporting a portion of the floor, and seat supporting members, the upper edges of the supporting plates being bent over into gripping engagement with the scat supporting members. I

T. ln a metallic ivehicle body, the combination with sides, floor, and transverse seat plates ot a body structure, of a plurality of vertical ribs adapted to be secured to the sides,- a plurality of horizontal ribs coperatng with the vertical ribs and extending across the scat plates, and transverse seat sui'iporting elements engaging with one of said horizontal ribs.

8. ln a metallic vehicle body, the combi nation with sides, lloornnd transverse seat plaies ot a body structure, ot a plurality of yf, vral ribs adapted to be secured to thc and seat plates, a plurality of horizonat the lower edges thereof, a floor housed` Within tlielver portions of said plates, substantially horizontal stilfening braces in engagement with the inner surfaces of said plates and secured at their ends to the posts, seat supporting members suspended from said horizontal braces, and vertical braces cooperating with the horizontal braces and secured thereto.

10. ln a vehicle body, the combination with the' sides and seat plates, of a floor comprising a plurality of sections, a transverse flanged and channeled metallic member having a non-metallic core to support a plurality of door sections, and another transverse channeled metallic member adapted to cooperate with said flanged and channeled member to support one of said floor sections.

1l. In a vehicle body, a plurality of floor sills, one of which is provided with a chan.

nel opening to the side, the other floor sill being provided with a bearing flange, and a quickly removable llo'or section adapted to tit within the channel of one of said sills and to be seated on" the other sill and its flange.

12. An automobile body construction embodying side and seat plates, door posts at the forward edges thereof and a rigid frame at the lower edges thereof, a floor housed within the lower portions of said plates, substantially horizontal stitfening braces in engagement with the inner surfaces of said plates andV secured at their ends to the posts` and scat supporting members suspended from said horizontal braces.

13. An automobile body structure comprising floor beams and door posts mounted on said beams, and a sheet metal body structure mounted on said beams abil secured to said posts, in combination with wooden braces longitudinally disposed within said sheet metal form and secured thereto and to said osts seat rctaininfr members inter-v posed transversely within said body and secured to the opposite walls thereof, said scat retaining members operating also as braces for the body structure.

\ 14. An automobile body construction embodying a base frame for the body, a sheet metal plate rigidly mounted on the frame and shaped to form the back and sides of a a horizontal brace extending,r around thev inner surface thereotl and secured against movenunt relative thereto, a seat supporting membersecured at its rear portion to the horizontal brace, and a transverse brace secured to the frame and'underlying and s e- -cured to the forward portion of the seat supporting member.

5 15.` A vehicle body embodying. sides and a floor, in combination with a transverse plate, the opposite ends of which are' secured to the sides, means at the'lower portion of the plate serving as a lfloor support, and means at the 10 upper 'portion of the plate serving as a, seat support, said plate being provided with' in-v tegral, longitudinal reinforcing beads inter-v niediate'its edges.- A

Signed by me at the city of Detroit,

Michigan, this 29thiday ofl January, 1915. 15

` JAMES G. Y HEASLET.

- G. M. EGGLESTON, R. E. SCRATCH. 

